Turner makes a move in Bangladesh
Niall Turner
Niall Turner fired his first sub 70 round for six months when he carded a battling 68 to move to within touching distance of a top ten finish in the $300,000 Bashundhara Bangladesh Open.
At two under par, the Muskerry man needs help from runaway leader Jazz Janewattananond of Thailand, if he is to challenge for his maiden Asian Tour victory.
But he can still clinch a top finish in just his third start since coming back from the hip injury that kept him out of action from July last year until a few weeks ago.
Jazz, 21, put himself in prime position for a breakthrough Asian Tour victory when he carded a two under 69 to lead by four shots from India’s Shubhankar Sharma on 13-under-par 200 at the Kurmitola Golf Club.
Turner is 11 strokes behind Jazz on two under, but having started the third round in the first group of the day, he produced a superb back nine to move up to tied 19th.
Out in one-over par 37 after following birdies at the 13th and 14th with a bogey at the 15th and double bogey seven at the 17th, he had just 11 putts as he covered his homeward nine in 31 blows.
After a birdie at the first, the 33-year old Cork man drove the green and holed his putt for an eagle two at the 320-yard fifth, then closed with a birdie at the ninth to move up 17 places on the leaderboard.
It's an important week for the Muskerry golfer, who missed his first two cuts of the season after his long injury layoff.
"I had awful jet lag the first week and then got food poisoning in Myanmar last Wednesday," Turner said of his slow start to the year.
"It took a good while to get adjusted to the heat and time difference but I am starting to feel normal again and my game's starting to feel pretty sharp too.
"The good news is that my hip issues are a thing of the past, thankfully. So I'm looking forward to last round here and especially looking forward to Malaysia [for the Maybank Championship] next week."
Home hero Siddikur Rahman kept up the local cheers as he returned with a 68 to trail by five shots in third place with playing partner Dodge Kemmer of the United States, who also signed for a 68, in the full-field Asian Tour event.
Richard T. Lee of Canada posted a 67 to move into fifth place on 206 alongside Indian’s Chiragh Kumar and Rattanon Wannasrichan of Thailand, who carded rounds of 68 and 72 respectively in what is the third leg of the Asian Tour schedule this season.
Singaporean veteran Mardan Mamat, who claimed his fifth Asian Tour win at the inaugural Bashundhara Bangladesh Open in 2015, grabbed a share of 12th place on 209 following a 68.
Jazz’s four-shot lead is the largest 54-hole margin at the Bashundhara Bangladesh Open. Previous winners Mardan Mamat (2015) and Thitiphun Chuayprakong (2016) had both held a three-shot lead heading into the final round.
Bashundhara Bangladesh Open 2017, Kurmitola GC (Par 71, 6637 Yards), after 54 holes
200 – Jazz JANEWATTANANOND (THA) 64-67-69.
204 – Shubhankar SHARMA (IND) 64-68-72.
205 – Siddikur RAHMAN (BAN) 71-66-68, Dodge KEMMER (USA) 73-64-68.
206 – Richard T. LEE (CAN) 74-65-67, Chiragh KUMAR (IND) 68-70-68, Rattanon WANNASRICHAN (THA) 70-64-72.
207 – Udayan MANE (IND) 71-68-68, Sihwan KIM (USA) 70-69-68, Panuphol PITTAYARAT (THA) 66-68-73.
208 – Nicolas PAEZ (USA) 69-72-67.
209 – Mardan MAMAT (SIN) 72-69-68, Dulal HOSSAIN (BAN) 71-70-68, Brett MUNSON (USA) 74-66-69.
210 – Rashid KHAN (IND) 73-67-70, Peradol PANYATHANASEDH (THA) 70-69-71, Khalin JOSHI (IND) 69-70-71, LIU Yan-wei (CHN) 69-70-71.
211 – Niall TURNER (IRL) 71-72-68, Dongmin LEE (KOR) 70-73-68, Sang LEE (CAN) 70-72-69, Gunn CHAROENKUL (THA) 72-70-69, Youngjea BYUN (KOR) 69-71-71, Wolmer MURILLO (VEN) 69-70-72.
212 – Settee PRAKONGVECH (THA) 74-68-70, Panuwat MUENLEK (THA) 72-71-69, Sutijet KOORATANAPISAN (THA) 70-68-74.
